Hand weapon



Apn' Z E940. R. B. HUTCHISON HAND WEAPON 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Original Filed June 5, 1933 @NWA Awww QW n 1, l

pn'i 2, R940. R. B. HurcHlsoN HAND WEAPON Original Filed June 5, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 KN ,RN

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Patented Apr. 2, 1940 UN'E'ELB STATESv PATENT OFFECE HAND WEAPON Clarence A. Williams Application .lune 5, 1933, Serial No. 674,446 Renewed January 14, 1939 10 claims.

This invention relates to rearms, particularly to firearms of the combined club and gun type having self contained means for ring shells or cartridges.

An object is the provision in a Weapon of this character, of means for ring a plurality of charges in sequence Without reloading between discharges.

Another object is the provision in such a Weapon, of ring mechanism selectively operable to function either as single action or repeater action.

Another object is the provision of a Weapon of this character wherein the entire charge holding and firing mechanism assembly is arranged as a quick .detachable removable unit.

The present disclosure constitutes the best means l have thus far devised in reducing the invention to practice. 1t is to be understood how- 30 ever, that various structural embodiments of the principles may be employed, Within the scope of the invention as claimed.

In the disclosed embodiment the invention is shown as a police club or billy, adapted to be used as a gas projecting Weapon, capable of firing a large charge of incapacitating gas for riot service, or of firing in sequence a plurality of smaller charges for use against individuals and in situations Where a heavy charge is neither required nor desirable.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the billy.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal section therethrough.

Figure 3 is a section on line 3-3 of Figure 2.

85 Figure 4 is a section on line 5 4 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a fragmentary longitudinal section, at a right angle to the section of Figure 2, with the firing mechanism in elevation.

Figure 6 is a fragmentary perspective of a lir- 40 ing mechanism unit.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary perspective of a multiple cartridge holder.

Figure 8 is a section on line 8-8 of Figure 2, illustrating the set of the ring mechanism for '45 repeater action.

, cartridge.

Figure 12 is a fragmentary section illustrating the use of multiple nesting adapters for accommodating shells or cartridges of varied calibers.

Figure 13 is a fragmentary section illustrating the use of an alternative embodiment of charge 5 holding means.

Figure 14 is a section on line M-M of Fgure 13. l

Figure 15 is a perspective of the butt end of thebarrel portion. 10

Figure 16 is a section on line It--IB of Figure 2.

In detail, the weapon comprises a barrel, which functions also as a club, consisting of a tube l 15 of aluminum or other suitable material externally threaded at its muzzle end to receive an end ring I8 that is shouldered to provide an end stop for a casing is of pressed leather Washers, or other suitable material surrounding the tube and abutting an aluminum stop ring 26 press 20 fitted to the tube adjacent its butt end.

At the butt end the tube l1 extends beyond the stop ring 2E) to provide a hand grip portion in cooperation with other elements to be described. Tube ll is of uniform diameter through- 25 out its extent. The bore of the barrel is determined however, by the provision of an inner tube 2| riveted to tube Il and extending inwardly from the muzzle end a distance sufficient so that its inner end provides a stop shoulder 22 for seat- 30 ing the ,discharge end of a charge holding magazine, shown in Figures 2, 5 and 'l as a cylinder 23 provided with a plurality of radially arranged cartridge chambers 24, being three in number in the illustrated embodiment. A series of aligning studs 25 project from the loading face of the cylinder, Which face is further provided with an axial idler socket 26, having a purpose later detailed. The cylinder 23 is freely slidable in tube I'l being insertable and removable through the 40 butt end thereof.

In the cartridge cylinder 23 the chambers 24 are coextensive with the length of the cylinder. An alternative embodiment of cylinder is shown in Figures 13 and 14. In this form the dis- 45 charge end of each chamber 24 is internally threaded for the 'attachment therein of an auxiliary barrel 27 extending through tube 2l to the muzzle of the Weapon, the three barrels being supported at the muzzle by a spider 28.

The firing unit of thevveapon comprises a tube 29 of aluminum or other suitable material slidably insertable in tube El, and which is threaded at the butt end onto an end plug 3U rotatably carried on a smaller concentric tube 3l having 55 its butt end threaded into an operating member such as a knob or cap 32. The plug 3@ is disposed between the operating member 32 and a cross pin 33 which extends across the bore of' the tube 3l and serves as a holding abutment l'or one end of the main firing spring 34.

This spring 3:1 is a coiled expansion spring which is housed in the bore of tube 3l and bears against one end of a firing rod 35 slidably carried in tube 3i and projected therefrom by the main ring spring 35;. A lateral stud to working in a longitudinal slot 3l aligns the ring rod and limits the extent of its movement under the influence of camming means to be described. Adjacent its outer end the liring rod 35 is provided with a lateral iirng stud 38.

Beyond 'the end of the ring rod the housing tube 2Q is provided with a ri'ng pin support assembly comprising a pair of spaced annular plugs 3E? and d@ rigidly anchored to the tube by securing elements il and l2 respectively. The plug 39 adjacent the firing rod has slidably mounted therein the shank of a central firing pin disposed in coaxial alignment with the iring rod Between the support plugs 35i and 5Fl the firing pin shank is provided with a shoulder beyond which it is reduced to form a striker slidably disposed through the plug d.

Arranged in mutually spaced relation radially about the central firing pin are a plurality of similar nring pins, here shown as three, with their Shanks i6 slidable through the plug Sil and their reduced strikers di slidably supported in the end plug (itl. These pins also carry each a shoulder in the space between 'the support plugs. Expansion springs coiled about the shank of each firing pin striker portion between the shoulders dd, and the inner face of the end plug it serve normally to hold the firing pins in retracted position, with their striker points housed entirely within plug 39.

Seated against the inner face oi the plug 3S is a cam sleeve 5t formed as a crown cam with risers 5l terminating abruptly at the edges of valleys d. This cam is circumferentially shiftable on the inner wall of tube 29 into two positions of adjustment, indicated and determined by the setting of a thread bolt 53, the shank of which is slidable in a peripheral slot 5d of tube 2S. At each end of the slot the tube is stamped or otherwise provided with indicia, see Figure 6, to indicate the cam sett for single action ring, or repeater actie for a plurality of charges. Bolt 53 is threaded a socket 55 of cam and upon being threaded home at either countersunk end of slot 5 the bolt head clamps on tube 291 to anchor the cam in its setting.

As shown in Figure l5, the butt end of barrel tube i? is provided with radially disposed end opening bayonet slots 56 arranged to take internally projecting studs 5l carried by a guard sleeve threaded at one end onto the butt plug 35 and arranged to slide over tube i? to abut the stop ring 2Q at its other end. Sleeve 5S serves as a hand grip portion for the weapon.

Inasmuc'n guard sleeve EEB, butt plug 3d, and sleeve E@ with its associated ring pin support assembly are rotatedias a unit relative to the barrel tube il in inserting and securing the ring mechanism, means are provided for latching the unit in attached position. This latch consists of a spring detent 551 secured to the external Wall of the guard sleeve and having a holding stud disposed through an aperture provided through the sleeve through which the stud .is

seated in a socket 6| formed by enlarging an end of one of the bayonet slots 56 of the barrel tube Il'. The diameter of stud 60 corresponds to that of its socket 6|, which is greater than the width of the bayonet slot, so that when the stud is engaged in the socket the parts are latched against relative rotary movement.

In those instances wherein it is desired to employ the weapon for the firing of single shells or cartridges, the magazine cylinder is replaced by an adapter sleeve 52, as shown in Figure ll, for holding a single shell or cartridge 63 of large caliber. By utilizing a concentric nesting adapter sleeve Gil, Figure l2, seated within the adapter G2, a smaller caliber single shell may be fired.

t will be understood that this principle of nesting adapters may be carried out in Vany desired number, whereby the weapon can be utilized to re a charge of any caliber shell or cartridge.

In service, the weapon is fired by grasping the club portion i9 in one hand and rotating the knob 32 in a clockwise direction with the other.

When firing as a repeater to discharge in sequence the cartridges 66 with which the cylinder magazine is loaded, the selective control cam 5t is set, as shown in Figure 5 to the plural firing position. This setting disposes the cam valleys 52 in longitudinal alignment with the three Shanks lli or" the ring pins, as best shown in Figure 5. Then as iiring knob 32 is rotated the stud 33 of ring rod 35 rides inwardly on a cam riser, retracting the ring rod against compression of its spring 36. When the stud clears the abrupt edge of the riser the spring 3i?, immediately projects the firing rod forwardly; contacting and f actuating the central firing pin lit, and at the same time the firing stud 3E contacts and actuates the adjacent firing pin 4G, firing the cartridge in the magazine chamber which is alignedwith the striker of the ring pin thus actuated.

As the firing knob is again rotated the operation is repeated through engagement of the firing stud 38 with the next cam riser to lire a second cartridge; the same action being repeated to ilre the third cartridge. Duringthis repeater action ring, the central firing pin 43 idles, its striker entering the idler socket 26 each time the pin is actuated. Figure 8 further illustrates the cam setting for the repeater action described.

When the weapon is to be used for the :Firing i of a single charge, of larger capacity, as in Figures ll and 12, the selective cam control 5t is set at single action position by appropriately shifting the cam, as shown in Figure 9, so that the cam valleys do not align with the Shanks of the ring pins, Under this setting of the ring mechanism, as the firing knob 32 is rotated only the central iiring pin 43 is actuated by the firing rod, for although the same engagement of the ring rod stud 38 and cam risers takes place, the stud clears the outer pins each time it snaps forward into a cam valley.

In assembling the weapon, as for ring a plurality 'of charges Without reloading, the magazine cylinder 23 is loaded with cartridges, one being shown in elevation in Figure 2, and the selective cam control is set for repeater action as previously described. The magazine and firing unit are then connected by inserting thev magazine aligning pins 25 in receiving sockets l provided in the outer ring pin support plug All, Figure 6. The assembly of magazine and ring unit is then inserted in the barrel tube I'I from its butt end with the studs of guard sleeve 58 engaging the 75 bayonet slots 56. The guard sleeve is then turned to secure the bayonet connection and to seat the latch stud 5E) in socket El.

In disassembling, the guard sleeve is turned to release the bayonet slot connection, after which the entire ring unit housed in the tube 28 may be withdrawn from the barrel tube. The magaaine cylinder is slidably removable simply by inclining the barrel to permit the cylinder to dro-p through the butt end.

As hereinbefore described, the magazine may be replaced by an adapter tube for firing a single charge, in which case the selective cam control is set at single action position.

I claim:

1. A firearm comprising a club provided with an axial barrel, charge holding means adapted to be inserted therein, charge ring means insertable in said barrel, means for selectively adjusting said firing means to one position to operate as a combined single action and repeater action and to another position as single action only, and means for holding said charge holding means and said firing means in service position within the barrel.

2. A firearm comprising a club provided with an axial barrel, charge holding means slidably insertable therein, charge iiring mechanism insertable in said barrel and including a plurality of iiring pins, means for actuating said pins, and means for shifting the relative positions of the firing pins and actuating means.

3. In a firearm, a barrel, aring unit detachably insertable therein, and means shiftable within said unit for adjusting said unit to operate as a single action mechanism or as a repeater action mechanism.

4. A ring unit for club guns, comprising a barrel insertable tube, a butt plug closing said tube at one end, a ring pin support plug in the other end thereof, a central firing pin carried by said support plug, a plurality of ring pins in said plug and disposed in a circle concentric with said center pin, a iiring rod for actuating said pins, and means selectively adjustable to 'cause the firing rod to actuate either the center pin only, or to actuate said pins in pairs including the vcenter pin.

5. In a iirearm, a spring projected vfiring rod, a iiring pin coaxial therewith and actuated thereby, a lateral stud on said rod, a ring pin spaced from said iirst named pin and adapted for actuation by said stud, and means for determining the 'path of travel of said stud, said means being selectively adjustable either to guide said stud into actuating contact with the second named ring pin or to guide said stud past said pin without Contact.

6. In a rearm, a barrel, a tube slidably insertable therein from the butt end, a plurality of ring pins carried by said tube, a single iiring rod in said tube for actuating said firing pins, means for projecting said firing rod into actuating contact with said pins, and means adjustable within said tube for selectively guiding said rod to actuate only one firing pin in one position of adjustment and to actuate a plurality ofthe pins in another position of adjustment.

'7. In a firearm, a firing unit comprising a central iiring pin, a series of outer firing pins Iarranged in a circle concentric with the axis of the central pin, a spring projected iiring rod adapted to actuate said pins by striking contact, and means adjustable to one position for serially actuating the outer firing pins from said rod, and to another position for actuating only the central iiring pin from said rod,

8. A firearm comprising a club provided with a single axial barrel, a charge holding magazine slidably insertable therein, means for preventing any rotation of said magazine within the barrel, and means for successively firing the charges in said magazine through said barrel.

9. A iirearm comprising a club provided with an axial barrel, charge holding means slidably 9 insertable therein, charge firing mechanism insertable in said barrel behind the charge holding means and including a plurality of firing pins, means for holding said ring pins and charge holding means against rotation with respect to the barrel, means for actuating the iiring pins, and means for shifting the actuating means with respect to the iiring pins whereby to actuate the firing pins singly or as radial pairs.

10. A firearm comprising a club provided with an axial barrel, charge holding means slidably insertable therein, charge iiring mechanism insertable in said barrel Ibehind said charge holding means and including a hollow tube provided with axially spaced partition plugs, a plurality of firing pins supported in said plugs in circumferentially spaced relation and axially slidable therethrough, means between said plugs and normally retracting said ring pins, a central firing pin slidable axially through said plugs, means for actuating the firing pins, and means for shifting the actuating means with respect to the ring pins whereby to actuate the firing pins singly or as radial pairs.

ROBERT B. HUTCHISON.

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